1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical cutters, and, more particularly, to orthopaedic surgical cutters
2. Description of the Related Art
Calcar planars are surgical tools which are typically used for planing the proximal femur. However, customizable sizes for use in smaller joints (shoulder, great toe, ankle), pediatrics or revision surgery can be produced. A calcar planar reamer is typically composed of a reamer cup mounted on a shaft, which in turn is mounted in the chuck or collet of a portable drill or other powered shaft Calcar planars cups have an arrangement of precisely shaped cutting surfaces extending outwardly therefrom. Such calcar planar reamer cups are typically separable from their respective shafts to allow for changing cup size prior to or during surgery, cleaning and/or sharpening
Orthopedic reamers and cutters must be formed and operated in such a manner so as to minimize any risk of causing contamination during their use in surgery Consequently, prior orthopedic reamer cups and cutters have needed to be cleaned after each use and/or made disposable. Due to the costs of such tools, disposability of such tools has not proven to be a very economical option in many cases.
What is needed in the art is a calcar planar surgical cutter that includes a blade portion (the part most subject to wear and most likely to be changed during use) that is readily changeable and disposable, thereby permitting reuse of the other portions of the cutter after disposal of a given blade member.